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The Gresham-Barlow School District’s classified employees are seeking increases in pay and health benefits and feel the district “has singled them out to bear the brunt of budget shortfalls,” according to a union statement.
Representatives of Chapter 8 of the Oregon School Employees Association, which represents 420 district employees, are scheduled to meet with district representatives Tuesday, Feb. 9, for another round of contract negotiations.
The employees have been working without a new contract since July 2009, said Hal Meyerdierk, Chapter 8 president.
Classified school employees fill non-teaching and non-administrative positions and are secretaries, custodians, computer technicians, educational assistants, groundskeepers, bookkeepers, payroll clerks and other support personnel.
About 40 such employees rallied outside Gresham City Hall before the district board’s last meeting Feb. 4, and then presented board members inside with a letter stating their grievances.
In particular, Meyerdierk said, the workers note their health insurance costs have increased by more than 8 percent and as much as 24 percent over the last year.
“We are working hard at reaching a settlement,” Athena Vadnais, district spokeswoman, said in response to the employees’ concerns. “We do have some challenging economic times. We’re hopeful that the next bargaining session will result in a settlement.”
It is hard to be hit with this current economic crisis on all fronts. As a classified employee of GBSD - I am very thankful for my job, however we have been given new challenges in our rooms with larger classes to serve, less staffing in support services, and more duties to cover. All because of budget cuts.. The only request we have made is to be treated with the same contract offer as the administrators and teachers have received. Instead we are being 'singled out' as the group who will bare the cost of the current economic times. Our contact requests really do not translate to much - compared to all the costs district wide. However, we all need to work, and it seems the district is using that to there advantage!
(email verified)
Mon, Feb 08, 2010 at 08:29 AM
These lower paid people are the very ones the district should protect and value- they stretch the dollars of the district quite effeciently. They often work part time, which means little or no insurance benefits are paid for them, so if they are getting any benefits, it is because the premiums are taken directly from their modest paychecks, in whole or in part. These folks are at the front lines supporting education in many areas. It would seem to me to be a wise investment for the district to keep the lowest wage earners. Higher turn-over is just one more expense they cannot afford.
(email verified)
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 09:55 AM
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Re: Gresham-Barlow employees take case to school board
While the private sector is hit with measure 66 & 67 tax increases, lay offs and not enough customers.
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(email verified)
Sat, Feb 06, 2010 at 07:01 AM